Monday, February 27, 2012

The
roots of the rivalry between the two clubs lie in the distant past.
When Arsenal moved from Plumstead to Highbury in 1913, it seemed to some
that they had 'invaded' Spurs' territory and resentment was compounded
in 1919 when, after much lobbying by their chairman Sir Henry Morris,
Arsenal were elected to the enlarged First Division... at Tottenham's
expense. Even in the 1930s, when Arsenal were at their peak, Spurs
occasionally managed to pull out something extra for the derby. In 1934,
for instance one of the five times Arsenal won the League in the 1930s
Tottenham put in an extra effort and beat the Gunners 3-1 at Highbury.
Arsenal took full revenge the following season when they won their third
successive title. Ted Drake grabbed a hat-trick in a 5-1 win at
Highbury in October and in the return game it got even better for the
Gunners who ran out 6-0 victors at White Hart Lane. Drake netted two
more, as did new signing Alf Kirchen on a dream Arsenal debut, with
Peter Dougall and Cliff Bastin wrapping up a victory that left Spurs -
who would be relegated at season's end-devastated. That win in March
1935 remains Arsenal's best ever result at the home of their closest
rivals.

The
early 1950s was one of those rare periods when both clubs enjoyed
success. Arsenal won the FA Cup in 1950, in 1951 newly promoted
Tottenham won their first title and Arsenal clinched their seventh
championship two years later.
However, as the decade wore on, both clubs had to rebuild and the
exercise was more successful for Spurs than Arsenal. Bill Nicholson's
return to White Hart Lane, as manager, in 1958, had galvanised Tottenham
into one of their best eras. In 1961, they became the first
20th-century team to do the Double. They retained the FA Cup in 1962,
then, in 1963, became the first English team to lift a European
trophy-the European Cup-Winners' Cup. By 1967 the tide was starting to
turn in Arsenal's favour again. On the morning of 16 September, George
Graham got married, and that afternoon he slid in Arsenal's third goal
as they beat the FA Cup holders Spurs 4-0, much to the dismay of his
best man, the Spurs midfielder, Terry Venables. Since then, Arsenal
have, on the whole, had the upper hand. Thee Arsenal fans celebrated
loudly in the Tottenham High Road in early May 1971, when Ray Kennedy's
last-gasp header at White Hart Lane clinched both the League title and
the first leg of the Double.

In
1978 Liam Brady orchestrated the 5-0 away victory over Spurs. Alan
Sunderland scored a hat-trick. Not until April 1983 when they
annihilated the Gunners 5-0 would Tottenham wipe out the memory of that
defeat. In 1986 George Graham returned to Highbury from Millwall id his
first full season in charge held one of the more thrilling North London
derbies in the 1987 League Cup semi-final. Spurs won the first leg at
Highbury 1-0. Clive Allen, the Tottenham striker, netted again in the
first half of the second leg. but after the break, Viv Anderson and
Niall Quinn scored to force extra time and a replay. In the replay,
Allen struck again for Spurs and Charlie Nicholas had to go off injured.
With eight minutes left, Arsenal looked finished. Then Ian Allinson, on
as sub for Nicholas, tucked away a close-range effort and ensured a
furious final few minutes. With time running out, a shot from Allinson
rebounded into David Rocastle's the path, who ran on to stroke Arsenal's
winner past Ray Clernence. The Gunners went on to beat Liverpool at
Wembley in the final.

In
1991, Arsenal and Spurs met in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. Terry
Venables gambled on the semi-fit Paul Gascoigne and the England
midfielder lashed a magnificent free-kick goal past David Seaman to give
Spurs an early lead, and then started the move for Gary Lineker to stab
home Tottenham's second. Alan Smith headed in a cross from Lee Dixon to
revive Arsenal hopes and they dominated much of the second half, but
Lineker's breakaway goal killed the contest. Two years later, the north
London rivals met at Wembley again in another FA Cup semi-final. This
time, Tony Adams' goal decided the match. With ten minutes left, the
Arsenal captain stole in unmarked at the far post to bury a Paul Merson
free-kick with a stooping header. George Graham left Arsenal in 1995,
but in October 1998 he returned to north London as manager of Tottenham,
in a move that many Arsenal fans saw as disloyal, His joy was obvious
when Spurs held out for a goalless draw at Highbury in his sixth game in
charge, but less than six months later, on 5 May 1999, Dennis Bergkamp
and Kanu took Tottenham apart in a 3-1 victory at White Hart Lane.
Graham's tenure as Spurs manager lasted only 17 months and his
replacement was a man just as familiar with the unique rivalry of north
London derbies Glenn Hoddle in the spring of 2001. Hoddle had not yet
officially taken charge of Spurs when the two teams met at Highbury in
March but he watched his new team get beaten 2-0, However, celebrations
for Arsenal were muted, as that morning their former midfielder David
Rocastle had died, losing his battle against cancer at the tragically
young age of 33. Asa mark of respect the game was preceded by an
impeccably observed minute's silence.

Eight
days later the two teams met at Old Trafford in the FA Cup semi-final.
Arsenal dominated after Spurs had taken a fortunate early lead,
eventually winning 2-1 thanks to Patrick Vieira's header and a late
Robert Pires strike after Spurs goalkeeper Neil Sullivan had performed
heroics. It proved to be Sol Campbell's last game for Spurs. In recent
years there have been some memorable clashes between the two sides. The
3-0 victory at Highbury in 2002 was notable for an amazing 70-yard run
and finish from Henry that won Match of the Day's Goal of the Season.
Perhaps the most spectacular game in the last few years was in November
2004, when the Gunners won a thriller by the odd goal in nine. That man
Pires again netted the vital fifth with just nine minutes remaining on
Spurs' new head coach Martin Jol's home bow. Subsequent seasons saw a
number of tense and hard-fought stalemates until a superb performance
and goal from Adebayour and a brace of penalties from stand-in captain
Gilberto gave Arsenal a 3-0 win in the first north London derby at the
Emirates. In January 2006 the two old foes fought for a place in the
Carling Cup Final. The sides could not be separated after 180 minutes
and went in to extra-time 3-3 on aggregate. Wenger's young guns
triumphed 5-3 under the Emirates lights thanks to an Aliadiere shot and
an own goal from Pascal Chimbonda.